There are times when a person becomes completely absorbed in something.
Even if it’s not for recognition or any particular gain, everyone has likely invested in something simply because their heart was drawn to it.
It takes different forms for each person, but most of the time, it’s for self-satisfaction.
In my case, that something was a raising simulation game called Raising the Duke’s Daughter.
As the intuitive title suggests, the game’s content was simple.
An evil noble meets a young girl, has a change of heart, raises her as his own daughter, and eventually marries her off to a handsome prince.
It was quite popular in its own way.
If you visited the game’s website, you’d see it had overwhelmingly positive reviews.
But that didn’t mean it was without criticism, and honestly, I understood why.
“Do I really have to do all this…?”
The genre was clearly a raising simulation.
But maybe because just raising the girl wasn’t interesting enough, or maybe because they wanted to make the player suffer like they were actually raising a child, there were way too many things to manage.
You had to train her in combat to improve her martial abilities, send her to the academy to build relationships, and even make her learn magic—tons of things that just felt unnecessary.
On the bright side, you could say there was a lot to enjoy.
On the downside, it didn’t really fit the genre.
No wonder people started calling it an RPG fantasy game disguised as a raising sim.
Still, I found it fresh and enjoyable.
But if I had to rate it, I’d have to admit that this aspect was frustrating.
[OOO has developed a deep interest in magic and decided to become a mage. Although she has drifted away from marrying the prince, she found her own path and lived happily.]
“Why the hell are you deciding her future on your own?!”
As I mentioned before, this game had way too many things to manage.
The problem was that each and every one of them affected the ending.
If a certain stat was too low or too high, you wouldn’t get the ending you wanted.
[OOO has become a widely recognized sword master. Though she did not marry the prince, she will always carry honor with her.]
“I don’t need that crap!”
[OOO has grown disillusioned with human relationships and shut herself in her room. A handsome prince might be able to open her heart, but he’s not going to go out of his way to find her.]
“Ugh, seriously!”
The playtime was long, and the game had a whopping 30 different endings.
Out of those, only one was a happy ending.
The rest were either bad or normal endings.
So you might think, “Why not just max out all the stats?”
Do you really think I didn’t try that?
[OOO has set out on a journey to explore the wider world. Though she had to give up marrying the prince, happiness surely awaits her on her travels.]
“Where the hell are you going?!
Stay put!”
See?
This was the kind of game it was.
The endings were determined arbitrarily, often without me even realizing it, making the path to the happy ending completely unclear.
Honestly, looking up a guide would’ve made things easier.
But back in high school, I was too stubborn.
I prided myself on being a gamer, and no matter how difficult it was, I wanted to clear it on my own.
That stubbornness cost me—I never got the happy ending before I died getting hit by a truck.
But maybe the heavens took pity on my stubbornness, because by some stroke of luck, I was reincarnated into the world of the game.
Even though I had to start at the lowest noble rank, a baron, I made a promise to myself long ago.
If I couldn’t see the happy ending in my past life, then I’d achieve it with my own hands this time.
And today marked the first step toward that goal—the very beginning of the story.
A loud and unpleasant noise echoed through the theater.
It was so grating that I nearly covered my ears, struck by the unwanted realization that human speech could be this disgusting.
“The slave I bought yesterday broke too easily. Today, I want one that’s a bit more durable.”
“My little darlings~ Your master came with a fat wallet today~”
“It’s rare to see a pretty slave these days. Tch.”
A person’s dignity can’t be measured in money.
But this place was a slave auction, where ethics had been completely thrown away.
The people gathered here, judging by their expensive clothes and gem-studded accessories, were all wealthy.
They were people with influence, no matter how big or small, yet right now, they were nothing more than scum trying to buy humans like livestock.
For someone like me, who had a clear purpose, just breathing the same air as them filled me with disgust.
“Ugh. If it weren’t for the protagonist…”
It wasn’t like I came here willingly.
The first story event in Raising the Duke’s Daughter took place at this slave auction, so I had no choice.
If I recall correctly, the story mentioned that the duke was captivated when he saw the enslaved girl…
The game’s prologue described it simply.
One day, the evil duke visited the auction as usual, saw a girl up for sale, and bought her on the spot because he was “captivated” by her.
At first, I thought it gave off major creep vibes, but thankfully, it turned out he saw her as a daughter rather than anything else.
That was a relief.
Anyway, that’s why I was here today.
This was the day the protagonist was being auctioned off.
I had no idea if the evil duke from the game was actually here, but rather than leaving her in his hands, I was planning to take her myself.
How could I trust someone who came to this place like it was a casual outing?
It worked in the game, but this was reality.
Here, human nature was ruled more by greed than innocence.
Did I expect some dramatic change of heart, like in the game?
Yeah, right. If that were the case, everyone here would be living righteously.
Anyway, when the hell was this auction going to start?
This mask, given to me to conceal my identity, was unbearably uncomfortable—I wanted to rip it off right away.
Even if there was a face-recognition-blocking spell cast on it for privacy, it would all be pointless soon enough.
“They should just hurry up and start already. This is a waste of time.”
Maybe someone overheard my mumbling, because right then, a man made a flashy entrance onto the stage, which looked like something out of a theater play.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you all for waiting so patiently! We sincerely appreciate your attendance at today’s auction!”
He must have been desperate for money, as his tongue was busy licking the boots of the audience, trying to sell just one more slave.
Even though it was obvious flattery, the crowd still clapped and cheered, which was irritating to watch.
“Did you all bring plenty of money?
Are you ready to take home some rare slaves?
If you hesitate, someone else will snatch them away!
So if you see something you like, don’t hold back!”
It was clear he had done this many times before—his speech was enough to rile up the audience.
People clapped, cheered, and some even shouted for them to hurry up and bring out the slaves.
Judging by the atmosphere, it was time for me to send the signal.
“Alright then, let’s introduce our first item!”
As I slipped my hand into my pocket, the auctioneer pulled a grown man onto the stage.
His wrists and neck were shackled, and his whole body trembled with fear.
The spectators laughed and jeered, as if his suffering was entertainment, making my grip tighten involuntarily.
And just as the magic stone in my pocket shattered, the sound of the auction hall doors being kicked open echoed from behind.
They really arrived the moment I gave the signal.
“Wh-what?! The Royal Knights?!”
“Why are they here?!”
Turning around, I saw knights clad in armor bearing the royal insignia standing solemnly at the entrance.
It was no surprise they were shocked—these knights only moved by the king’s orders.
No one would have expected them to be here or figured out how they had found this place.
Either way, they would take care of the rest.
Now, it was time for me to act.
“Arrest everyone here!
If they resist, weapons are authorized!”
The thunderous voice of the knights’ captain roared through the hall, and the knights charged forward.
In an instant, the auction house descended into chaos.
I used the confusion to slip toward the stage.
“Guide me to the person I’m looking for.”
As I issued the command in my mind, a translucent blue window appeared before me, displaying a navigation path like a GPS.
This was my unique skill, [Search], something I had possessed naturally since being reborn into this world.
It was as reliable as ever.
“Let’s see… Backstage, huh?”
I could follow the skill’s guidance, but first, I had something to take care of.
The auctioneer had already fled, but the enslaved man was still standing there, dazed, unable to grasp the situation.
He didn’t even notice me approaching until I was right in front of him.
“W-who are you?!”
“Stay still. I’m not here to harm you.”
Even after my reassurance, suspicion remained in his eyes, but that wasn’t my problem.
“[Hard Strength].”
A mid-tier strength enhancement spell.
The moment I recited the spell, a pulse ran through my muscles, making them throb like a second heartbeat.
I felt strong enough to crush a person with my bare hands—not that I intended to.
I wasn’t sure if this would work, but thankfully, my magically enhanced strength was enough to snap the shackles.
“H-huh?”
“I freed you, but you’d better stay put. You don’t want to be mistaken for being on the side of these scumbags, do you?”
That was all the courtesy I was going to extend.
I had my own priorities.
Leaving the dumbfounded man behind, I headed backstage.
The noise was deafening.
A girl who had been dozing off slowly opened her eyes, irritated by the commotion.
As her mind cleared, she realized the sounds she heard were people speaking.
“Hey! What the hell is going on?!”
“I don’t know! Does it matter? Just grab the slaves first!”
“Damn it…! And here I thought today was going to be a big payday!”
The girl was puzzled.
The same people who had strutted around, lording over her and the other slaves, were now panicking.
But no matter what was happening, it had nothing to do with her.
She was locked behind bars, unable to leave.
She didn’t believe in miracles.
So she failed to realize that hope was already making its way toward her.
Instead, she simply closed her eyes again.